


open ocean

by bunnieju



Series: atropos [4]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pirate, Comfort/Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-06
Updated: 2020-04-06
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:00:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23518849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bunnieju/pseuds/bunnieju
Summary: Mark and Jaemin can't bear to lose each other.
Relationships: Mark Lee/Na Jaemin
Series: atropos [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1692334
Kudos: 16





	open ocean

**Author's Note:**

  * For [jenomeow](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jenomeow/gifts).



> just a repost as an individual work

“Don’t look at me like that.”

Silence.

“I mean if you’re gonna look at me like that at least say something.”

More silence.

“Come on! Complain --” Mark paused with a pained groan before continuing as if nothing happened. “Yell at me! Make fun of me for being stupid! Call Jisung and gossip about me being a clown to my face!”

Jaemin gave a surprisingly harsh pull on the thread, that Mark felt it sharply through the medium dosage pain killers and caused him to let out a small screech. Jaemin left out a huff before returning to his gentle stitching of Mark’s wound and silent icy glare.

“Ok, I deserved that,” Mark chuckled nervously. “But you know what I deserve more? You nagging me.”

Jaemin tied a knot as soon as he finished stitching and swiftly cut the thread before stepping back with his arms crossed. Jaemin always managed to take Mark’s breath away even when he looked like he was going to cut off Mark’s leg and beat him with it. Jaemin, knowing Mark like the back of his hand, immediately noticed the heart eyes Mark was giving him and rolled his eyes before stepping closer to the bed Mark was laying on and intertwining their fingers.

A gentle pitter-patter of rain tapped against the window of the infirmary, sudden thunder roared as a direct opposite, the boat rocked a bit more harsh against the unforgiving waves, and the sound of footsteps sounded on the ceiling above them, indicating that their crew was in the common space. A doleful song was now heard through the ceiling from the common room stereo, allowing a shift in atmosphere for the Captain and his first mate in the infirmary.

Jaemin’s face dropped from a scorning glare into a saddened smile and Mark felt his heart shatter, for he had caused the pain on his lover’s face.

“What would I have done if I lost you, Mark?” Jaemin’s glassy eyes gave off a sense of grief for what could have occurred.

“You would have moved on without me, eventually.” Mark’s mouth twisted into a pained frown.

“How could you say that? How could you be so fucking reckless all the time?” Tears left Jaemin’s eyes, mirroring the raindrops that crawled their way down the infirmary window. “Don’t we deserve a happy ending too?”

“I just don’t want anything to happen to any of you.”

“Mark! We’re fucking pirates!” Jaemin’s eyes widened in disbelief. “We know how to defend ourselves! You can’t take on everything like some sort of hero! We’re lawless pirates, you fucking idiot!”

Mark sighed, sinking his head further in the pillow. “I’m sorry. But how can I live with myself if I don’t at least try to save you?”

“You should know better than this by now, Mark. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

“I don’t want anything to happen to you either.”

“Then don’t break my heart like this.”

For a long while, they just stayed there, silent and unmoving in the stiff sorrowful room. It’s not the first time they’ve been in danger, but it was the first time that Mark had put himself into that much danger. When Mark vowed to be by Jaemin’s side till the end of time under that starry night all those years ago, he’d known he meant till the end of his time, even as a starry-eyed teenager experiencing his first true love.

“I promised till the end of time too, Mark. But that doesn’t mean time with you, it means time beyond you and me too, it means leaving with you too Mark.” Jaemin let the bittersweet words and their double meanings pierce into Mark. Typical that Jaemin could basically read his mind, but that didn’t mean he didn’t hate it.

“Stop doing that.” Mark mumbled, squeezing his eyes shut to stop the tears from forming.

“Telling you the truth?” Jaemin squeezed his hand, causing Mark to instinctively open his eyes and gave Mark a familiar smile. One that Mark fell in love with all those years ago, when they were basically children thrown into void of the endless crime-riddled sea. That Mark learned to appreciate every time he saw it, because it was a side of his everything reserved just for him. “If I don’t smack you around a bit then who’ll put you in your place, fucking dumbass?”

“Well, Renjun. Maybe Jisung.” Mark teased, giving Jaemin’s hand a squeeze back. They chuckled, staring at each other in the dim light.

The air was cold and heavy, the waves pushed and shoved, the sky continued to cry, the wind howled against the ship, and the sound of footsteps ceased, leaving behind a frozen silence. But the warmth in their chests was unrivaled by the harshness of the malevolent sea. The love in their eyes would never dim for the unkind world.


End file.
